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The Drums Of War Beat Louder
Why Trump’s mindless destruction means global violence is now inevitable
Here’s a simple question that can readily be answered by glancing at the last few hundred years of history: when an incompetent leader ruins his nation, what can he do to attempt to look “strong” and rally the pliable masses behind him?
Yes, that’s right: invade somewhere and spread a stirring tale about righting old wrongs or protecting citizens today or building a better tomorrow.
It actually doesn’t much matter what you tell ordinary people: most of them will believe anything at all, without questioning it. This is because we humans are a group primate species evolved to fall in obediently behind the leader whenever we believe our group is in danger. Even when that danger comes from the leader himself, we still obediently fall into line and bare our teeth at whatever supposed enemies the leader has told us we need to fear and hate.
For all the absurd claims about human intelligence, the reality is that we don’t actually have very much. Evolution never presented any of the sustained selection pressures that would have led to us evolving real intelligence. Instead, we evolved self-delusion. Years ago, when most people were still swayed by the babbling of professional religionists, we told ourselves…
